Medical container packaging

Abstract

This invention relates to medical container packaging. Specifically, a package for medical containers includes a basin having a bottom wall and peripheral sidewalls extending from the periphery of the bottom wall, the bottom wall having at least one opening through the bottom wall. The peripheral sidewalls include a peripheral flange along the top edge of the peripheral sidewalls, and the peripheral sidewalls form an opening at the top of the basin opposite the bottom wall. The package includes an insert of porous material connected to the basin and disposed above the at least one opening through the bottom wall, a cavity supporting a plurality of medical containers, and a sealing layer connected to the peripheral flange to seal the opening at the top of the basin.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to tubs and packaging for sterilizing medical containers such as vials, syringes, and tubes. Background Technology

[0002] Packaging for medical containers is used for the sterilization of medical containers (such as syringes, vials, or tubes) and for the safe handling and transport of these containers. Sterilization of the contents of the package is achieved by injecting a disinfectant through a layer of gas-porous, liquid-resistant material that covers the entire top opening of the container or basin. The packaging can be transported from one location to another, such as when it is manufactured in a first location and filled in a second location, or when it is manufactured and filled in the same location and then delivered to another location. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure describes packaging for medical containers.

[0004] In some aspects of this disclosure, a package for medical containers includes a basin comprising a bottom wall and peripheral sidewalls extending from the periphery of the bottom wall, the bottom wall including at least one opening through the bottom wall, the peripheral sidewalls including a peripheral flange along the top edge of the peripheral sidewalls, and the peripheral sidewalls forming an opening at the top of the basin opposite to the bottom wall. The package also includes an insert of porous material connected to the basin and disposed above the at least one opening through the bottom wall, nests configured to support a plurality of medical containers, and a sealing layer connected to the peripheral flange to seal the opening at the top of the basin.

[0005] This aspect and other aspects may include one or more of the following features: An insert of porous material seals to the bottom wall of the basin above at least one orifice, the porous material being configured to seal the at least one orifice to prevent liquid penetration. The porous material is connected to the basin between the cavity and the bottom wall of the basin. The at least one orifice includes a plurality of orifices through the bottom wall. The plurality of orifices includes a first plurality of orifices disposed at a first longitudinal end of the bottom wall and a second plurality of orifices disposed at a second longitudinal end of the bottom wall opposite to the first longitudinal end, and the first plurality of orifices are symmetrical to the second plurality of orifices across a transverse centerline of the bottom wall. The porous material is disposed in porous material strips above the plurality of orifices, whereby the first porous material strip seals the first plurality of orifices and the second porous material strip seals the second plurality of orifices. The sealing layer includes a transparent polymer film. The sealing layer is attached to the peripheral flange using an adhesive between the sealing layer and a peripheral flange. The adhesive is disposed along the peripheral flange in a continuous non-linear pattern, and optionally in a sinusoidal pattern along the peripheral flange. The cavity includes a recess in the periphery of the cavity, which is configured to allow disinfecting gas to flow from below the cavity to above the cavity.

[0006] Certain aspects of this disclosure cover a method for forming a sterile package for medical containers. The method includes: forming a basin including a bottom wall and peripheral sidewalls extending from the bottom wall, the bottom wall including at least one orifice through the bottom wall, the peripheral sidewalls including a peripheral flange along a top edge of the peripheral sidewalls, and the peripheral sidewalls forming an opening at the top of the basin opposite to the bottom wall; sealing the at least one orifice using an insert of porous material disposed above the at least one orifice; providing a cavity in the basin, the cavity configured to support a plurality of medical containers; and sealing the opening at the top of the basin using a sealing layer.

[0007] This aspect and others may include one or more of the following features. The method further includes injecting a disinfectant through a porous material and into the interior of a basin, the disinfectant being configured to sterilize multiple medical containers. Sealing at least one opening using an insert of the porous material includes overmolding the porous material together with the basin or heat-sealing the porous material to the basin. The porous material includes Tyvek. Forming the basin includes thermoforming or injection molding the basin. Sealing an opening at the top of the basin using a sealing layer includes adhering the sealing layer to a peripheral flange using an adhesive. Adhering the sealing layer to the peripheral flange includes applying the adhesive along the peripheral flange in a continuous non-linear pattern and optionally applying the adhesive along the peripheral flange in a sinusoidal pattern. The method further includes removing the sealing layer from the basin. Removing the sealing layer includes one of suction roller cutting, abrasion, or manually peeling the sealing layer from the basin.

[0008] Details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is an exploded perspective view of an example package used for medical containers.

[0010] Figure 2 It is in the assembly position. Figure 1 A schematic top view of an example package.

[0011] Figure 3 It can be used Figure 1 A schematic bottom view of the example basin in the example package.

[0012] Figure 4 It includes inserts made of porous materials. Figure 3 A schematic bottom view of an example basin.

[0013] Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 They are Figure 3 The example basin is shown in schematic bottom perspective, schematic top perspective, and schematic bottom perspective.

[0014] Figure 8 It is displayed Figure 3 A schematic bottom view of the interference pattern above the bottom wall 112 of the example basin.

[0015] Figure 9 This is an exploded perspective view of the sample basin and sample molded components.

[0016] Figure 10 This is a flowchart of an example method for forming a basin or medical container.

[0017] Figure 11 This is a flowchart of an example method for forming sterile packaging for medical containers.

[0018] The same reference numerals and labels in various figures indicate the same elements. Detailed Implementation

[0019] This disclosure relates to packaging for medical products, such as syringes, vials, tubes, or other containers. In the medical field, sterile and easily transportable medical products are important, and medical packaging provides handling and transportability for sterile and fragile (e.g., glass) products. In this disclosure, a package for a medical product includes a basin having one or more openings in its bottom wall, wherein the openings are covered and sealed by a porous material (such as a porous fibrous material) that is gas-porous and liquid-impermeable, and acts as a selective filter layer above the openings. The porous material may be overmolded with the basin, heat-sealed to the basin, or otherwise attached to the basin to seal the one or more openings. The openings and the porous material allow the injection of sterilizing gases, for example, to disinfect and sterilize the internal contents of the package, through the openings and the porous material via the bottom of the basin. The seal of the porous material above the openings ensures no bacterial or liquid ingress into the internal space of the basin through the openings, while still allowing the injection of sterilizing gases through the porous material. The packaging can also be sealed at the top opening of the container, such as by using an impermeable polymer film, to seal the interior of the packaging in preparation for transport, storage, or both.

[0020] In some conventional packaging assemblies, the basin has continuous sidewalls and bottom walls excluding orifices, and a sealing layer comprising a porous filter material is disposed over the entire top opening of the basin. Removing (e.g., peeling) the sealing layer with porous material from the top opening can be difficult and often results in significant particle generation, which can contaminate or otherwise soil the sterile contents of the package. In this disclosure, the porous material is repositioned to cover one or more orifices in the body of the basin, such as orifices in the bottom wall, sidewalls, or both. This repositioning of the porous material reduces the amount of porous material used in the overall packaging, thereby reducing costs, because the amount of porous material used to cover one or more openings is significantly less than the amount of porous material sheet covering the entire top opening of the basin. For example, the amount of porous or semi-permeable material covering the orifices can be between 1% and 100% of the area defining the top opening, such as between 5% and 80%. In some examples, the amount of porous or semi-permeable material covering the orifices is approximately 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, or 35% of the area defining the top opening. In some embodiments, the amount of porous, semi-permeable material is determined according to the sterilization cycle of the package. Similarly, the packaging of this disclosure incorporates a sealing layer to seal the opening. The sealing layer may not include porous material, thereby allowing for faster and / or easier application (e.g., adhesive attachment) and / or removal (e.g., peeling) of the sealing layer from the container.

[0021] Figure 1 This is an exploded perspective view of an example package 100 for use with a medical container. The example package 100 includes a basin 102, a porous, semi-permeable material insert 104 (two inserts shown) connected to the basin 102, and a support for a medical container 108 (e.g., Figure 1 The glass vial shown in the image has a cavity 106, and a sealing layer 110 on top of the basin 102 to enclose the contents within the interior space of the basin 102. The basin 102 includes at least one opening 114 (e.g., six openings 114 in total in the example package 100). Figure 1 The basin 102 has two components: a bottom wall 112, peripheral sidewalls 116 extending from the periphery of the bottom wall 112, and a peripheral flange 118 along the top edge of the peripheral sidewalls 116. The sidewalls 116 and flange 118 form an opening at the top of the basin 102 opposite to the bottom wall. The opening is large enough to allow the recess 106 and its supported container 108 to be inserted into the interior space of the basin 102. A porous material insert 104 is disposed over and covers the opening 114 and is attached to the basin 102 by overmolding, heat sealing, or other forms of attachment, as described in more detail below.

[0022] The basin 102 may be integrally formed from a single material or multiple materials. In some cases, the basin 102 is formed from molded plastic or thermoformed plastic (such as polystyrene). The basin 102 holds one or more inserts 104 of porous material in place, and in some examples, the inserts 104 of porous material are overmolded together with the basin 102 during molding or heat-sealed to the basin 102 after its formation. The basin 102 is rigid and provides structural rigidity to the example package 100, and provides a substantially closed environment for the sterilization of the contents within the internal space of the basin 102. The materials of the basin 102 and the porous material inserts 104 are puncture-resistant, for example, to resist puncture of the basin 102 by a sharp medical container (such as a syringe). Except for the top opening (which may be covered by a sealing layer 110) and the orifice 114 (which is sealed by the porous material inserts 104), the basin 102 is impermeable to fluid permeation.

[0023] exist Figure 1 In example package 100, the longitudinal, transverse, and vertical directions are shown in a 3-axis system. Generally, the longitudinal direction is along the longer dimension of the pot, the transverse direction is along the shorter dimension of the pot, and the vertical direction is along the height dimension of the pot. In some examples, the transverse centerline of the pot is parallel to the transverse dimension and generally bisects the longitudinal side of the pot, and the longitudinal centerline of the pot is parallel to the longitudinal dimension and generally bisects the transverse side of the pot.

[0024] The basin 102 can be made in various shapes and sizes. Figure 1 In the example package 100, the sidewall 116 is substantially tubular and extends vertically from the rectangular periphery of the bottom wall 112. A peripheral flange 118 has a rectangular shape with a substantially flat top surface and is located at the vertical top of the sidewall 116. The peripheral flange 118 is integrally formed with the sidewall 116. Alternatively, the peripheral flange may be otherwise attached to the sidewall 116. The sidewall 116 of the example package 100 includes a first set of opposing sidewalls 124 along the longitudinal edge of the bottom wall 112 and a second set of opposing sidewalls 126 along the transverse edge of the bottom wall 112. In some embodiments, the peripheral sidewall 116 includes an inner shoulder 120, wholly or partially, along a continuous length of the sidewall 116. The shoulder 120 is formed by an outward step in the substantially vertical sidewall 116, thereby creating a shoulder surface within the interior space of the basin 102. The outward-facing steps in sidewall 116 also create a bottom-facing shoulder surface on the exterior of basin 102, which can be used as a gripping surface for a user or machine operating basin 102. The shoulder 120 has a constant vertical height along sidewall 116. Figure 1In the example package 100, the shoulder 120 spans the entire continuous length of the sidewall 116 at its midpoint height. The shoulder 120 supports the flange edge 122 of the recess 106 such that, in the assembled position of the example package 100, the flange edge 122 of the recess 106 rests on the shoulder 120, and the container 108 is suspended within the interior space of the basin 102.

[0025] In the assembled position of example package 100, a cavity 106 is located within the interior space of basin 102 and suspended above a porous material insert 104 and the bottom wall 112 of basin 102. The porous material insert 104 seals to the bottom wall 112 of basin 102 over at least one orifice 114, and the porous material is configured to seal at least one orifice 114 to prevent liquid penetration. The porous material connects to basin 102 between the cavity 106 and the bottom wall 112 of basin 102. A sealing layer 110 is attached to a peripheral flange 118 to seal an opening at the top of basin 102. The sealing layer 110 may be adhesively, heat-sealed, or otherwise sealingly attached to the peripheral flange 118 to create an airtight seal between the interior space and the exterior space of basin 102. The sealing layer 110 may take various forms. For example, the sealing layer 110 may be a polymer film, such as a transparent polyethylene (PE) film or a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, or a film made of another polymer. The sealing layer 110 may be transparent, for example, so that the contents of the package 100 are visible after the sealing layer 110 is applied. In some embodiments, the sealing layer 110 does not need to include a porous material to allow for sterilization of the contents of the package, because the porous material insert 104 is located at the bottom wall 112 of the basin 102. Because the sealing layer 110 does not include a porous material, the transparency of the sealing layer 110 allows for the visibility of the contents of the package 100. For example, a user may be able to inspect the type of contents (e.g., vials, syringes, and / or cartridges), the size and condition of the contents (container size, the number of containers within the package 100, and / or whether any containers are broken), and / or other visual and appearance details of the contents of the example package 100 without needing to remove the sealing layer 110 from the example package 100. This visual inspection can be beneficial in observing the contents of the package without sacrificing the airtight seal of the sealing layer 110 to the basin 102 or the sterility of the medical container in the package 100.

[0026] In some examples, the basin 102 is made of polystyrene, the porous insert 104 is made of medical-grade high-density polyethylene (HDPE), the cavity is made of polypropylene, and the sealing layer 110 is made of transparent PET-PE.

[0027] Figure 2 It is in the assembly position. Figure 1A schematic top view of example packaging 100. The sealing layer 110 is transparent, and the cavity 106 and the medical container 108 are visible through the sealing layer 110. The cavity 106 securely holds the medical container 108 so that the medical containers 108 do not directly contact each other. For example, the medical container 108 may be a glass container, and the cavity 106 holds the glass container to avoid direct glass-to-glass contact.

[0028] In some embodiments, the cavity 106 includes a recess in its periphery, for example, to allow sterilizing gas to flow from below the cavity 106 to above it. A recess 128 is formed in the flange edge 122 of the cavity 106 and is formed as an inset in the flange edge 122. For example, Figure 2 Each longitudinal end of the flange edge 122 of the example package 100 includes a recess 128 that fluidly connects the interior space of the basin 102 below the recess 106 to the interior space of the basin 102 above the recess 106. The shape and position of the recess 128 are variable. Figure 2 In the example package 100, the recess 128 is semi-circular in shape and aligned with the existing gaps in the medical container 108 within the cavity 106. For example, the medical container 108 is arranged in an offset, row-by-row pattern within the cavity 106 to maximize the number of containers 108 that can fit onto the cavity 106, and the recess 128 is aligned with the existing gaps in the periphery of the offset pattern of the medical container 108 so as not to reduce the number of containers 108 that can fit onto the cavity 106. In some embodiments, the recess 128 may serve as a finger holder or hand holder during filling and / or removal of the cavity 106 by a user or machine from the basin 102.

[0029] In some embodiments, the sealing layer 110 is attached to the peripheral flange 118 using an adhesive 202 between the sealing layer 110 and the peripheral flange 118. Figure 2In example package 100, adhesive 202 is arranged in a continuous non-linear pattern along peripheral flange 118, such as a sinusoidal pattern of adhesive 202 along peripheral flange 118. The pattern of adhesive 202 is continuous to maintain a complete seal around peripheral flange 118, and the continuous non-linear pattern of adhesive 202 provides easier peeling of seal layer 110 from peripheral flange 118 compared to a linear pattern of adhesive along peripheral flange 118. For example, the non-linear pattern avoids the high breakout peel force required if seal layer 110 is peeled off from a complete adhesive line at once. In other words, the non-linear pattern of adhesive 202 requires a lower amount of peel force at any given point during peeling compared to the peel force required to peel off an entire straight line of adhesive at once. In some embodiments, the pattern of adhesive 202 along peripheral flange 118 reduces the peel force required to peel off the foil of top seal layer 110 due to the geometry of the adhesive 202 pattern. For example, the introduction of peel force can be reduced to a geometrically defined area. The pattern of adhesive 202 can take many forms, such as zigzag pattern, sine pattern, wave pattern, curved pattern, wavy pattern or other continuous pattern.

[0030] The sealing layer 110 can be removed in a variety of ways, for example, to perform a filling operation on the medical container 108. In some examples, the sealing layer 110 is removed by manually peeling it off from the peripheral flange 118 (such as by manually stripping the sealing layer 110). In some examples, the sealing layer 110 is removed by cutting or abrading with a suction roller (such as by a machine).

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic bottom view of example basin 300. Figure 3 Example pot 300 and Figure 1 The example pot 102 is the same and can be used Figure 1 Example package 100. Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 They are Figure 3Schematic bottom perspective view, schematic top perspective view, and schematic bottom perspective view of the example basin 300. The example basin 300 includes a plurality of orifices 114 through the bottom wall 112 of the basin 300. The orifices 114 are arranged in a symmetrical pattern in the bottom wall 112. In some cases, the entire basin 300 including the orifices 114 is symmetrical across a transverse centerline XX, across a longitudinal centerline YY, or both. The symmetry of the example basin 300 and the orifices 114 allows for flexibility in the orientation of the basin 300 (such as during the manufacture, filling, and / or transportation of the basin 300). For example, the symmetry of the basin 300 can benefit medical container assemblers and pharmaceutical customers because the example basin 300 can be oriented in either direction while still allowing the same operational steps, such as sterilization, assembly, and / or storage.

[0032] Figure 3 and Figure 5-7 The example basin 300 has orifices 114 including a first plurality of orifices 302 disposed at a first longitudinal end 306 of the bottom wall 112, and a second plurality of orifices 304 disposed at a second longitudinal end 308 of the bottom wall 112 opposite to the first longitudinal end 306. The first plurality of orifices 302 are symmetrical to the second plurality of orifices 302 across a transverse centerline XX and a longitudinal centerline YY. Each of the first plurality of orifices 302 and the second plurality of orifices 304 includes a total of three orifices. However, the number, size, and shape of the orifices can vary. For example, each plurality may include more or fewer orifices.

[0033] The arrangement of the orifice 114 on the bottom wall 112 of the example basin 300 provides sufficient open area through the bottom wall 112 to perform sterilization and injection processes through the orifice 114 without sacrificing the structural rigidity of the basin 300. For example, the orifice 114 is parallel to but slightly offset from the edge of the bottom wall 112 at its longitudinal ends 306 and 308. The position and orientation of the orifice 114 in the bottom wall 112 of the basin 300 can vary. However, the orifice 114 in Figure 3 The layout of the example basin 300 is designed to avoid interference with other equipment that may be used during the formation, handling, and use of the packaging having the example basin 300. For example, the bottom wall 112 of the example basin 300 may be used as a mounting point or support point for rollers, suction cups, handling tools, or other mechanical equipment during operations including manufacturing, filling, sterilizing, handling, transporting, and / or opening of the packaging including the example basin 300. Figure 8 It is displayed Figure 3A schematic bottom view of interference pattern 800 on the bottom wall 112 of the example basin 300. Interference pattern 800 indicates sections and areas on the bottom wall 112 that can be utilized by the equipment in one or more of the operations described above. The positioning of the orifice 114 in the bottom wall 112 avoids interference between the orifice 114 (and the associated porous material insert) and these equipment areas. For example, pattern 802 indicates example roller interference, pattern 804 indicates example suction cup interference, and pattern 806 indicates various example machine manufacturer interferences. The orifice 114 does not overlap with these patterns 802, 804, or 806, nor does it disrupt the existing operation along these interference patterns.

[0034] In some embodiments, the plurality of orifices 114 include additional pinholes or recesses in the bottom wall 112. For example, Figure 3 and Figure 5-7 The example basin 300 includes additional pinholes 310 adjacent to and spaced apart from the first plurality of orifices 302 and the second plurality of orifices 304. These pinholes orifices 310 provide mounting or positioning points for one or more inserts 104 of porous, semi-permeable material, such as during the overmolding operation of the basin 300 when one or more inserts 104 are overmolded together with the basin 300. For example, the pinholes 310 may aid in the positioning of the inserts 104 during the overmolding of the basin 300 with the inserts 104. In other examples, the pinholes 310 are remnants from retaining pins that hold the inserts 104 in place during the injection molding process of the basin 300. Figure 3 and Figure 5-7 The pinholes 310 of the example basin 300 are optional and can be used with... Figure 3 and Figure 5-7 The arrangement shown is different from other arrangements.

[0035] The orifice 114 can be molded into the basin 300 during its formation, cut from the bottom wall 112 of the basin 300 after the main body of the basin 300 has been formed, or otherwise formed in the basin 300. Although Figure 3 and Figure 5-7 The example basin 300 is shown as having a plurality of openings 114 in the bottom wall 112 of the basin 300, but in some embodiments, the side wall 116 may include openings in place of the openings 114 in the bottom wall 112 or in addition to the openings 114 in the bottom wall 112.

[0036] Figure 4 Too Figure 3 A schematic bottom view of the example basin 300. Figure 3 The example basin 300 includes a porous, semi-permeable material insert 400 disposed on an orifice 114. The porous (semi-permeable) material insert 400 and... Figure 1 The example package has the same porous material insert 104 as the example package and can be used for Figure 1 In the example package 100, the porous material insert 400 seals the orifice 114 to the bottom wall 112 of the basin 300, and the porous material seals the orifice 114 to prevent liquid penetration. Figure 4 An example insert 400 made of porous material is provided on orifice 114 with porous material strips (two shown). For example, a first porous material strip 402 seals a first plurality of orifices 302, and a second porous material strip 404 seals a second plurality of orifices 304. Figure 4 The example basin 300 includes two inserts 400, but a single insert or more than two inserts may be provided on the orifice 114, for example, in the case of additional orifices or orifices with different spacing. In some embodiments, a porous material strip is incorporated into the molding of the basin 300 such that the strip is overmolded together with the basin 300. Overmolding the porous material strip simplifies the manufacture of the basin because the final product from a single molding operation includes a basin with a porous material strip already sealed over the orifice.

[0037] exist Figure 4 In the example basin 300, the inserts 400 are shown as two separate inserts, wherein the first insert covers a first set of orifices on a first end of the basin 300, and the second insert covers a second set of orifices on a second end of the basin 300. In some embodiments, the inserts 400 are a single sheet of porous, semi-permeable material that covers all orifices in the bottom wall 112 of the basin 300. The single sheet insert may cover the entire bottom wall 112 or only a portion of the bottom wall 112, as long as the single sheet covers all orifices through the bottom wall 112. In some examples, the single sheet insert or multiple inserts 400 may be inserted into a mold during the formation of the basin 300 to overmold it into the basin 300.

[0038] Porous, semi-permeable materials can be made from a variety of breathable and liquid-impermeable materials, such as medical-grade fabrics formed from HDPE fibers. For example, Tyvek can be used as a porous material. Tyvek is a synthetic fabric made of HDPE fibers and is resistant to water and bacterial invasion, and is porous enough to allow gas permeation (such as sterilizing gases used for sterilization). In some embodiments, the porous material insert 400 includes strips of Tyvek material, such as a first strip 402 made of Tyvek and a second strip 404 made of Tyvek.

[0039] The preparation of the example basin 300 can vary. As mentioned above, the example basin 300 can be thermoformed or injection molded, and one or more porous material inserts can be overmolded into the basin 300, heat-sealed onto the basin 300, or otherwise attached to the basin 300 and positioned over the orifice 114. Figure 9 This is an exploded perspective view of example basin 902 in example molded component 900. Example basin 902 and Figure 3 The example basin 300 is identical. The example molding assembly 900 can be used to prepare the example basin 902, which includes one or more porous materials as a covered molding insert.

[0040] Figure 10 It is used to form basins for medical containers (such as...) Figure 1 and Figure 2 Example pot 102 Figure 3-8 Example pot 300 or Figure 9 The flowchart of example method 1000 (example basin 902) is shown below. At 1002, a basin including a bottom wall and a plurality of side walls extending from the bottom wall are formed. The plurality of side walls form openings at the top of the basin opposite the bottom wall. In some embodiments, forming the basin includes thermoforming or injection molding. At 1004, at least one orifice is formed in the bottom wall of the basin. In some cases, forming at least one orifice includes molding the bottom wall of the basin to include at least one orifice or cutting at least one orifice in the bottom wall of the basin. At 1006, at least one orifice is sealed using a porous material. In some embodiments, sealing at least one orifice using a porous material includes overmolding the porous material together with the basin or heat-sealing the porous material to the basin. In some cases, the porous material includes Tyvek, and at least one orifice is sealed using Tyvek.

[0041] Figure 11 It is used to form sterile packaging for medical containers (such as...) Figure 1 and Figure 2The flowchart of example method 1100 (example packaging 100) is shown below. At 1102, a basin is formed including a bottom wall and peripheral sidewalls extending from the bottom wall. The bottom wall includes at least one orifice through the bottom wall, the peripheral sidewalls include a peripheral flange along the top edge of the peripheral sidewalls, and the peripheral sidewalls form an opening at the top of the basin opposite the bottom wall. In some cases, forming the basin includes thermoforming or injection molding the basin. At 1104, at least one orifice is sealed using an insert of porous material disposed above at least one orifice. Sealing at least one orifice using an insert of porous material may include overmolding the porous material together with the basin or heat-sealing the porous material to the basin. At 1106, a cavity is provided in the basin, the cavity being configured to support a plurality of medical containers. At 1108, an opening is sealed at the top of the basin using a sealing layer. In some embodiments, sealing the opening at the top of the basin using a sealing layer includes adhering the sealing layer to the peripheral flange using an adhesive and optionally along the peripheral flange in a continuous non-linear pattern (such as a sinusoidal pattern). In some examples, method 1100 includes injecting a disinfectant through a porous material and into the interior of a basin, where the disinfectant sterilizes multiple medical containers. In some examples, method 1100 also includes removing a sealing layer from the basin, such as by cutting with a suction roller, abrading, or manually peeling the sealing layer from the basin. The removal of the sealing layer can be performed in a sterile environment, for example, to maintain the sterility of the packaging.

[0042] Many implementations have been described. However, it will be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A package for a medical container, the package comprising: Basin, which includes: A bottom wall, comprising at least one opening through the bottom wall; and A peripheral sidewall extending from the periphery of the bottom wall, the peripheral sidewall including a peripheral flange along the top edge of the peripheral sidewall, the peripheral sidewall forming an opening at the top of the basin opposite the bottom wall; An insert of porous material is connected to the basin and disposed above at least one orifice through the bottom wall; The cavity, its structure designed to support multiple medical containers; and A sealing layer is attached to the peripheral flange by an adhesive between the peripheral flange and the sealing layer to hermetically seal the opening at the top of the basin, the adhesive being arranged in a continuous non-linear pattern along the peripheral flange; The at least one orifice includes a plurality of orifices through the bottom wall, and the plurality of orifices include at least two types of orifices.

2. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein, The porous material insert seals the bottom wall of the basin above at least one orifice, the porous material being configured to seal the at least one orifice to prevent liquid penetration.

3. The packaging according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein, The porous material is connected to the basin between the cavity and the bottom wall of the basin.

4. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of orifices includes a first plurality of orifices disposed at a first longitudinal end of the bottom wall and a second plurality of orifices disposed at a second longitudinal end of the bottom wall opposite to the first longitudinal end, and the first plurality of orifices are symmetrical to the second plurality of orifices across the transverse centerline of the bottom wall.

5. The packaging according to claim 4, wherein, The porous material is disposed on the plurality of orifices in the form of porous material strips, wherein a first porous material strip seals the first plurality of orifices and a second porous material strip seals the second plurality of orifices.

6. The packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The sealing layer comprises a transparent polymer film.

7. The packaging according to claim 1, wherein, The adhesive is arranged in a sinusoidal pattern along the peripheral flange.

8. The packaging according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The cavity includes a recess in the periphery of the cavity, the recess being configured to allow disinfectant gas to flow from below the cavity to above the cavity.

9. A method for forming a sterile package for a medical container, the method comprising: A basin is formed, the basin including a bottom wall and peripheral sidewalls extending from the bottom wall, the bottom wall including at least one orifice through the bottom wall, the peripheral sidewall including a peripheral flange along the top edge of the peripheral sidewall, and the peripheral sidewall forming an opening at the top of the basin opposite to the bottom wall. The at least one orifice is sealed using an insert of porous material disposed on the at least one orifice. A cavity is provided in the basin, the cavity being configured to support multiple medical containers; and The opening at the top of the basin is airtightly sealed using a sealing layer; The method of using a sealing layer to airtightly seal the opening at the top of the basin includes using an adhesive to adhere the sealing layer to the peripheral flange; Adheding the sealing layer to the peripheral flange includes applying an adhesive along the peripheral flange in a continuous non-linear pattern; The at least one orifice includes a plurality of orifices through the bottom wall, and the plurality of orifices include at least two types of orifices.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising injecting a disinfectant through the porous material and into the interior of the basin, the disinfectant being configured to sterilize the plurality of medical containers.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, Sealing the at least one orifice using the insert of the porous material includes molding the porous material together with the basin or heat-sealing the porous material to the basin.

12. The method according to any one of claim 10 or claim 11, wherein, The porous material includes Tyvek.

13. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein, Forming the basin includes thermoforming or injection molding.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, Adheding the sealing layer to the peripheral flange includes applying the adhesive along the peripheral flange in a sinusoidal pattern.

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, further comprising removing the sealing layer from the basin.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, Removing the sealing layer includes one of the following: cutting with a suction roller, rubbing, or manually peeling the sealing layer off from the basin.

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